- Samsung has opened reservations for the Galaxy Note 20 line.
- If you reserve now, you’ll get a $50 instant credit toward the smartphone.
- This might be the best way to get a discount on the phone before it launches.
Samsung’s August 5 Unpacked event is still weeks away, but that isn’t stopping the company from inviting you to put money down for a Galaxy Note 20.
The company has started taking reservations for “the next Galaxy� (read: the Note 20) ahead of Unpacked, and there’s an incentive to sign up early. Reserve between now and August 4 and you’ll get a $50 instant credit toward the smartphone purchase. If you’re determined to be an early adopter but would rather not pay full price for Samsung’s pen-toting flagship, this might be your best chance at a discount.
The reservation process asks you to provide basic contact information and to choose your preferred carrier (or an unlocked model), although you’re allowed to change networks when you place the final order.
The biggest hurdle may be choosing the device that suits you best. Samsung is rumored to be introducing at least two Galaxy Note 20 variants at Unpacked, each with its own advantages.
The centrepiece is expected to be the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, a rough counterpart to the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The high-end Note is believed to have a 6.9-inch, 1440p screen with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate and a tougher Gorilla Glass Victus covering. You would get the S20 Ultra’s 108MP main rear camera without the Space Zoom as well as 12MP ultra-wide and telephoto sensors. It might come with at least 12GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage, with either an Exynos 990 or a recent Snapdragon (possibly the 865 Plus) chip depending on your region.
Word has also emerged of a lower-cost standard Note 20. It would have a smaller 6.7-inch, 1080p display with a more conventional 60Hz refresh rate and a more modest camera setup that includes a 12MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 64MP cam for virtual telephoto shots. It would use a similar processor to the Note 20 Ultra, but stick with 8GB of RAM and carry 256GB of non-expandable storage.
Both phones could have a new, low-latency S-Pen with a more natural writing feel and Microsoft OneNote integration.
It’s still not certain how much you’ll have to pay when pre-orders launch in earnest. However, the Galaxy Note 10 family started at $950. You’ll likely be paying a premium even with the $50 credit factored in.
Not interested in the next Note? You might want to give the Galaxy S20 line a shot.